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Rachel Cooke
Real Name: Rachel Louise Cooke Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: Georgetown, Texas Date: January 10, 2002 Bio Occupation: Student Date of Birth: May 10, 1982 Height: 5'2" Weight: 110-120 lbs. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female. Blonde hair with auburn streaks, hazel eyes. She also has multiple piercings in both ears, two heart-shaped cherry tattoos on her left shoulder, and a black star tattoo on her left foot. Case Details: Nineteen-year-old Rachel Cooke was staying at her parents' home in Georgetown, Texas during winter break from Mesa Junior College in San Diego. When her mother, Janet, left for work at 8am on January 10, 2002, she was asleep on the couch. When she awoke, she decided to take a jog; she had been on the high school cross-country team and was taking regular four-mile runs in the morning. Authorities believe that Rachel left home at around 9:30am, and witnesses spotted her at various points on her route. Several neighbors saw her at 11am, near the end of her run, just 200 yards from her home. Her father, Robert, returned home at 3pm to go shopping with her, but she was not there and had not left a note. Her family became concerned when she didn't return home that day. An extensive search was conducted, but no trace of her was found. Authorities and her family are still trying to figure out what happened to her. Suspects: ''' None known, although an unidentified Native American male in his late teens or early twenties was seen talking to a female jogger, possibly Rachel, on the day she vanished. Also, a late-model white or blue Chevrolet Camaro or Pontiac Trans Am with white or black stripes along the hood and trunk was seen in Rachel's neighborhood around the time she vanished. '''Extra Notes: This case first aired on the August 12, 2002 episode. It was also profiled on America’s Most Wanted and Disappeared. Results: Unresolved. In 2006, inmate Michael Keith Moore confessed to Rachel's murder while in prison for an unrelated murder. He claimed that he abducted her, killed her with a hammer, and dumped her body into the Gulf of Mexico. He was scheduled to plead guilty to her murder when he suddenly backed out of the plea, admitting that he fabricated the confession for preferential treatment. However, authorities believed that his confession was accurate; despite this, the charges were later dropped. Sadly, Rachel's father, Robert, passed away in 2014. In July 2017, investigators received a tip about possible human remains buried in a field that might belong to her. However, a search of the field turned up nothing. Then, in April 2018, investigators announced a possible break in the case: they had located and impounded a car matching the description of one seen in Rachel's neighborhood the morning of her disappearance. It is a Pontiac Trans Am that was located in Dallas. It is linked to three persons of interest in her case. The FBI will soon conduct an analysis of it, in hopes of finding DNA or other evidence. DNA experts have stated that it is likely that DNA evidence could still be found in the trunk, even after all of this time. In September, it was announced that it had tested positive for the "possible presence of blood". A search was conducted in Georgetown in December, but it is not known if anything was found. A $100,000 reward is being offered in her case. Links: * Rachel Cooke on Unsolved Archive * Rachel Cooke on the Charley Project * Rachel Cooke on the Doe Network * Rachel Cooke on the FBI Website * Searching for Rachel: Authorities continue to look for Georgetown woman * Volunteers spread search for missing Georgetown woman throughout Texas * Rachel Cooke's parents cope with absence * Town shaken by Cooke's disappearance * Officials baffled by Cooke's disappearance * Father of missing Georgetown Teen dies * Human remains search possibly tied to Rachel Cooke comes up empty * Hopes of finding missing Georgetown teen dashed again * Reward up to $100,00 for info on Rachel Cooke, missing since 2002 * Where is Rachel Cooke? Texas woman remains missing as investigation is renewed with new sheriff in town * Impounded car may have evidence in Rachel Cooke case * Car linked to Rachel Cooke case impounded for forensic analysis * Car linked to Texas cold case tests positive for 'possible presence of blood,' sheriff says * Rachel Cooke's family marks 17 years since her disappearance ---- Category:Texas Category:2002 Category:Disappearances Category:Abduction Category:Road-Related Cases Category:Unresolved